Best Digital Meat Thermometer Review in 2018

We did the hard work for you, and we think the ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Remote Digital Cooking Food Meat Thermometer comes out on top of the competition. But really, we couldn’t just pick one with so many great products on the market. So let’s dive into our top five picks and our handy guide to finding the best digital meat thermometer around.

Cooking meat is easy enough, but cooking it to perfection requires some specialized tools. A meat thermometer is one of the essentials in making sure that your meal is just right… every single time. When it comes down to it, there’s a lot of variety in these handy devices, but there are a lot of cheap and inferior products on the market.

Bestoverallpick!

Best overall: ThermoPro TP20 Wireless

If you’re just looking for a basic, ultra-convenient digital meat thermometer then you’ll be in good hands with this one. The relatively low cost just adds to the awesome.

1. Best Overall

ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Remote Digital Cooking Food Meat Thermometer

Product Rating4.5 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

This is our favorite of the multitude of models which are readily available. This dual-probe digital meat thermometer is fantastic. It’s super accurate, as well as having enough extra functionality to keep you going.

Really, the only flaw that we were able to find is the fact that you’ll have to keep the receiver on hand. If you’re willing to spend a bit more there are more advanced models on the market but when it comes down to it, this one is hard to beat.

It comes with two spike-style probes which are tapered to keep the juices in your meat while allowing for easy penetration.

The wireless range of 300 feet is fantastic, making things easy to keep track of while you’re on the go and socializing with your guests. It’s pretty hard to get out of range in most yards.

Pros and Cons

Dual spike style probes

300 foot wireless range

Super easy to use

Receiver is relatively splash proof, keeping it safe during cooking

Only two probes

Probes aren’t the highest quality

2. Best Wireless Digital Meat Thermometer

Silipower Wireless Digital Cooking Thermometer Instant Read

Product Rating5 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

When it comes down to it, the Silipower only missed our “best” thermometer because of the cost. This is an amazing wireless thermometer which will allow you to take readings right off your smart phone with a free app.

In addition to that, it comes with six needle style probes which can be tracked separately through the app. That’s a whole lot of functionality in a small package, and the actual thermometer display is indeed quite small and will fit nicely on the side of a grill or countertop.

It also includes presets for 11 different types of meat which just adds to how useful it is overall. When it comes down to it, if you can spend the extra money this is probably exactly the thermometer you’re looking for.

This is simply the best wireless thermometer with a reasonable cost on the market. It’s still the most expensive on our list, but if you love smart devices then you’ll absolutely love this digital meat thermometer from Silipower.

Pros and Cons

Six separate needle probes

Smartphone compatible with a free app

Comes with a ton of presets and alarms

Bluetooth pairing makes it simple to use

Expensive

Only 170 foot range

3. Best Clip Style Digital Meat Thermometer

Lavatools PT12 Javelin Digital Instant Read

Product Rating4 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

Clip style thermometers are great for those who have to run around a kitchen and measure the temperature of different dishes while they’re being prepared. They also have an accuracy index which is downright amazing.

What you lose without it being wireless can be quickly regained, and there’s definitely a reason why thermometers like the Lavatools PT12 are favored by renowned chefs: they’re simple to use and you’ll be able to get the exact temperature with ease.

This one can be clipped to your fridge when not in use with a built-in magnet and it has a super quick display time of about 3.4 seconds. It can also withstand super high temperatures, making it great for even making candy.

This is probably the most versatile thermometer on our list. If you’re not afraid to sacrifice a little bit of convenience, then the PT12 might just be one of the best additions you’ve ever made to your kitchen.

Pros and Cons

Super accurate

Ultra-fast readings so you don’t miss a thing

Clips to fridge with magnet

Super convenient and easy to use

A bit expensive for functionality

Bad customer service for “lifetime warranty”

4. Best Fork Style Meat Thermometer

Toprime Instant Read Digital Blue Backlit Kitchen

Product Rating4 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

With a comfortable grip and a sturdy, forked design this thermometer has immediate uses for those who dream of fantastic grilling.

It’s accurate and has a fast read-time as well, so you won’t have to stand around and wait after you make the initial penetration. The probes slide in and out of the meat easily in order to get you an accurate reading.

Unlike many of the fork thermometers on the market, this one is sturdy enough to let you take care of lighter meats, although you probably won’t want to be flipping a multiple pound roast with it anytime soon.

If you’re dead-set on a fork-style thermometer then go with the Toprime, it’s the best out there and you’ll quickly find that it’s a welcome addition to your grilling.

Pros and Cons

Fork-style thermometer

Has presets for five kinds of meat

Sturdy enough to flip steaks and burgers easily

Super ergonomic grip for ease of use

Buttons are easy to press while in use

Hand covers LCD while it’s being gripped

5. Best Budget Digital Meat Thermometer

ThermoPro TP16 Large LCD Digital Cooking Food

Product Rating3.5 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

If you need something simple and functionable and you’re willing to forgo some of the bells and whistles associated with our other picks, then this thermometer is fantastic for those on a tight budget.

It’s a fairly simple device, with a single plug-in probe that will let you monitor one piece of meat continuously. It also has an alarm to let you know when things are done, which is a nice touch.

It’s not the best on the market, but it makes up for it by being super cheap and super reliable, both of which are awesome qualities for those with a lighter pocketbook.

If you just want a cheap, functional thermometer then this is exactly what you’ve been looking for. The brand name speaks for itself, but don’t expect miracles.

Why Buy a Digital Meat Thermometer?

With a good digital meat thermometer you’ll be able to ensure that your food is at a safe temperature, true, but more importantly you’ll be able to make sure it’s at just the right temperature.

If you’re tired of meat being too dry, or coming out just a touch too rare then you’re in good hands.

Digital thermometers are a little bit more expensive than many of the more simple options., but there’s a bewildering array of options which you can find. Whether you want to probe more than one piece of meat or be able to walk away from the grill to socialize without fear… there’s some level of convenience that can make all the difference in your life.

So really the question should be why not buy a great digital meat thermometer?

And in that case, we really couldn’t tell you.

Picking Your Digital Meat Thermometer

There are a ton of these thermometers on the market, which means that there’s a huge amount of options for the prospective consumer.

We don’t want you to just snag a digital meat thermometer, we want to make sure you get the best digital meat thermometer possible.

So, there are a few things to keep in mind when you’re looking to make the order. The following qualities will get you on the right track.

The marketing behind every thermometer is going to tell you that it’s super accurate. It’s not really true, a bad thermometer can have a variance of around 10°F which means your meat or fish comes out at the wrong level of done.

The good news is that there are accurate thermometers out there. You just have to make sure that you’re careful about your selections.

Testing accuracy is pretty easy, as long as the probe is waterproof you can just stick it in boiling water.

Style

There are a lot of different styles of meat thermometers out there once you get into the digital stuff.

Our personal favorites are the wireless receiving units with probes. With these you’ll be able to enjoy the party you threw and get an alert when the meat is at the proper temperature.

Clip style thermometers are great for those who want to ensure that they have their thermometer on them at all times. There are some surprisingly accurate products out there on clips, and the convenient design is pretty awesome.

There are also some cheaper ones which are the same style as old-school meat thermometers, basically just a stick and a display for the right temperature. You’ll have to watch these ones more carefully, but most of them will have an alarm when you hit the desired temperature.

There are also fork-style thermometers which allow you to stick the meat. A sturdy one will let you flip it as well, but you need to be careful if you select one of these styles since the cheaper ones are just a gimmick.

Probes

Not all probes are created equal at the end of the day.

Good ones will be made of stainless steel in order to make sure they don’t corrode over time. Food-grade or surgical-grade stainless steel is pretty much the perfect material for probes, but you still need high quality connections for remote probes to make them stand out.

On the other hand, many of the stick and fork-style probes are just stainless steel. These ones just need to be made sturdy enough to withstand repeated stabbing into meat. This mostly comes down to the quality of the mounts beneath the dial.

Many thermometers will allow for you to use more than one probe. That’s super useful if they’re all able to be set to separate temperatures, but it’s not quite as much of a boon if all of them can only be put at one setting.

The style of probes can vary from thin needles to thicker spikes, with each person having a favored probe. Just make sure that thicker ones are tapered so you don’t lose your delicious juices.

Extras

Frankly, if you’re going to go with a digital meat thermometer we think that you should be able to get some extra functionality out of them.

As long as the basics are in order, you’re good to go but with some extras you can add a whole new level of convenience to your cooking.

On top of that, some thermometers are suitable for a whole lot more than meat although they’re generally marketed as meat thermometers anyways.

The array of features is pretty awesome, look for some of the following:

Auto-settings for different types of meats will let you get the right temperature for what you’re cooking without having to memorize charts.

Multiple probe thermometers are great for making sure that you can measure multiple foods. They’re even better if the probes can be set to different types of meat.

Alarms, which we previously mentioned, are one of the biggest advantages of digital models over their less complex counterparts.

App functionality is another awesome quality which many people will find to be nearly indispensable. Being able to use your smart phone as a monitor is extremely convenient since most of us aren’t far from our phones most of the time anyways.

Putting it All Together

Really, which one you go with will depend largely upon your own cooking style.

If you’re the type who obsessively goes over their meat, then you’ll find that it’s super easy to with a clip style-thermometer, allowing you to check repeatedly while things are going on.

On the other hand, if you’re a social butterfly then go wireless. This will let you keep your meat probed while you’re hanging out with the others at the cookout.

Fork-style thermometers fit a kind of weird niche, they’re great for burgers and steaks which need a lot of flipping but you’re going to want to skip them if you’re going to roast.

The main things is this: think about how you cook before you make your final selection. This will give you the best chance of ensuring that you get only the best digital meat thermometer for your needs.

With the right one, you might just be amazed at how much more you can get done during the day, but the wrong one might just end up collecting dust in a drawer.

Digital Meat Thermometer Calibration

When it comes down to it, thermometers are pretty rarely calibrated properly right out of the box.

If you’re looking to make sure that you’ve got everything right then you need to make sure that you calibrate your meat thermometer as soon as possible as long as it has the option available.

This means that you’re going to want to… well, get some water boiling.

Stick a probe in the water, provided that the probes that come with your probe are waterproof. It should read 212°F.

Pretty simple, and something that you’ll definitely want to make sure that you do once in awhile with any thermometer which allows it.

Conclusion

Whenever you’re cooking, you want to make sure that you’ve got the best digital meat thermometer possible. The ability to make sure that your meat is cooked to perfection each time that you start putting things on the grill is awesome, the amount of time and meat saved will quickly pay for itself no matter which model you go with.